Gasket.



No. 673,865. `Fammi may |4, |901. mamans.

GASK ET.

:Application led Nov. 27, 1900.) (un model.)

me TATFS JACOB ENGERS, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

GASKET.

srEcIFIcA'rION forming part of Lettere ratent No. 673,865, dated Mey i4, 190i.

Application led November 27, 1900. Serial No. 37,904- (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB ENGnRs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State ot' Texas, have invented a new and useful Gasket, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to gaskets or packing-rings for steam-cylinders,and is designed to prevent the gasket from becoming broken or spread apart at the port-openings therein. It is especially designed to provide a gasket for use between the head and the cylinder of the air-pump of an ordinary train air-brake, in which the steam inlet and exhaust ports are made through one end edge of the steamcylinder.

With these objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of thc advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the steam-cylinder of an air-pu mp having the improved gasket applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation at substantially right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. Llisa detail plan view of the improved gasket or packing-ring. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View thereof.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In order that the present invention may be fully understood, there has been illustrated in the drawings the steam-cylinder l of an ordinary air-pu mp,which is carried by the locomotive of a train for the purpose of generating compressed air for the use of the airbrakes of the train. One end of the cylinder, ordinarily the upper end thereof, is provided with a removable head 2, which is provided With the steam inlet and exhaust ports and the steam-chest 3, within which are contained the throttle and slide valves for controlling the operation of the pump.

Within the cylinder is the piston 4 and through the center of the latter loosely extends the stem 5, which is tripped by the piston-rod 6 for the purpose of controlling the slide-Valve 7, so as to admit steam alternately at opposite sides of the piston, whereby the pump is operated. It will be understood that the piston-rod is connected to a suitable air-compressor, and the pump is employed for the purpose of operating the compressor.

Steam is conveyed to the cylinder by means of an inlet-pipe 8, which is in connection With a steam-boiler and communicates through one side of the cylinder with a longitudinal inlet passage or port 9, formed in said side or wall of the cylinder and opening outwardly through that end edge which has the head 2. The latter and the steam-chest have a common inlet-port 10, normally registering with the adjacent outlet end of the port 9, so as to permit of steam being introduced into the steam-chest, from whence it passes through the throttle-valve 1l, the inlet-port l2 in the head, and the passage or port 13 in one side of the cylinder and opening into the interior of the latter at the opposite end thereof, so as to direct the steam against the opposite side ot the piston, whereby it is driven toward the steam chest. The steam above the piston exhausts through the port 14 in the head, thence through the slide-valve 7 to the eX- haust-port 15 in the head, thence downwardly through the port or passage 16, formed in the wall of the cylinder, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. l and 3, and finally out through the exhaust-pipe 17, which is in communication with the port 16 about midway of the length of the cylinder.

During the upstroke of the piston the steam is exhausting through the several ports, as described, and at the completion ofthe stroke the stem 5 is tripped in any suitable manner,

so as to operate the slide-valve 18, (indicated in Fig. 2,) whereby steam is admitted to one side or the other ofthe piston 19, mounted within the steam-chest and operatively related to the slide-valve 7, so as to throw said valve to its opposite limit, thereby closing IOO t a general understanding of the relative arrangement of the inlet and exhaust ports in the shell of the steam-cylinder and to adequately explain the application of the present form of packing-ring or gasket with respect to such ports.

The gasket 20, which may be formed of any suitable material, is in the form of a flat ring, as usual, andis held between the head 2 and the adjacent end marginal edge of the steamcylinder,so as to form a steam-tight joint therebetween. Bolt-openings 21 are formed at proper intervals in the gasket for the reception of the bolts 22, whereby the head is held to the cylinder. In order that the steam may pass from th'e inlet-port 9 in the Wall of the cylinder to the port 10 in the head and steamchest, it is necessary to form acorresponding opening in the gasket, said opening ordinarily being angular or oblong to correspond to the angular shape of the ports of the engine. In view of the sharp or angular corners of the openings in the gasket the latter soon become blown out by the pressure of the steam, or, in other Words, the openings become spread out or enlarged, thereby rendering the joint defective and causing a leakage ot' the steam.

This difficulty is especially true when a packing-ring having oblong port-openings, which is the common shape, is applied to a cylinder having circular ports.

To overcome the aforementioned difficulties, I have provided the present gasket with the respective groups of port-openings 23 and 24, said groups corresponding, respectively, to the ports 13 and' 9, whereby the gasket is provided with ports having intermediate transverse braces formed by the intervening strips between the openings of each group, and through the medium of which the opposite erases sides of the port-openings are prevented from being spread laterally by the pressure of the steam passing through said ports. The exhaust-port opening 25 in the gasket, which registers with the exhaust-port 16, (shown by dotted lines in Figs. l and 3 of the drawings,) is preferably formed circular or elliptical, as the pressure of the exhaust is less than that of the incoming steam, and the rounded or curved shape of the marginal edge of the opening is sufficient to prevent spreading or breaking of said edge. In some instances the inlet-ports of the gasket maybe formed bya single elliptical or rounded opening instead of a plurality of openings, especially in such instances where the pressure is comparatively slight.

Although the present gasket has been shown and described as applied to the cylinder of a steam-actuated air-pump, yet it will be understood that the present invention m-ay be applied to any device to form an eiective joint through which extend ports for the passage of fluid under pressure.

1. A packing-ring or gasket,having an opening formed the-rein between the inner and outer marginal edges thereof, said opening having an intermediate brace connecting opposite edges thereof.

2. A packing-ring or gasket,having an opening located between the inner andouter marginal edges thereof,said opening being formed .by a plurality of m utually-al'ined perforations made in the gasket and arranged adjacent to one another,the intervening material between adjacent perforations forming intermediate transverse braces.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aftixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB ENGERS.

Witnesses:

H. L. PENDARvIs, FRANK C. J oNEs. 

